A couple of weeks ago, I got an e-mail from Stephen Lynch, who is a writer for the New York Post. He wrote:
I’m doing an article, the working theme of which is “the end of the geek golden era.” By the end of May, “Star Wars” will be over, “Star Trek” will probably be over. The “Lord of the Rings” movies have been wrapped up, no more “Matrix.” What do we look forward to now? Will geeks still rule the world?
I admire your blog and thought you would be a great person to comment on this. Thanks for your consideration.
I have learned to be wary of the Mainstream Media, but after a quick review of his articles, Stephen seemed like a good guy and the subject he was covering is something that I’m pretty passionate about.
I wrote back:
I actually think it’s the beginning of a new golden era for geeks: technology is putting massive computing power in our hands, we’re never more and a few hundred feet from the internets, we’ve got our own network (sci-fi channel) and the big summer blockbusters are all inspired by comic book movies. HHG comes out this year, it looks like Peter Jackson is going to do The Hobbit, there’s talk about a movie based on The Watchmen in 2006, and there’s a Firefly movie due out as well. Don’t overlook Sin City, or Hellboy, and don’t forget the new Battlestar Galactica! (Ron Moore is even connecting with geeks using the unprecedented medium of podcasting commentaries *for free* on all the new episodes, as well as communicating directly with the show’s fans via his blog.)
I think the end of Star Wars is long overdue. The new movies are an absolute abomination. It’s hard to figure out which sequel to The Matrix was worse, and Star Trek Enterprise had little in common with Star Trek beyond the name. There was an explosion of geeky goodness in the last few years, and now it’s time to step back, and . . . well, thin the herd, I guess. We’re at the dawn of a new geek era. The sun is only setting on the prologue.
This is just off the top of my head. If you’d like to talk with me, let me know and I’ll give you a call today. If you’d like to use any of this material, let me know and I’ll rework it just a little bit so it sounds less like e-mail.
So Stephen and I played phone and e-mail tag for a few days, but we finally connected and had a great conversation about geeky movies, where I tried to make it clear that, though I really hated Episode I, and nearly walked out of Matrix Reloaded, I am very optimistic that we are at the dawn of a new era of geeky goodness. I expanded my thoughts about thinning the heard, by pointing out that there is so much great fantasy, sci-fi, and comic book stuff out there now, the audience is less willing to accept any pile of crap that happens to have a laser gun or a dragon in it. Studios have realized that they can make movies which appeal to geeks and mundanes, without alienating either audience. This means that we should see more Spiderman, and less Catwoman.
Stephen’s article We Fans Bear Up for a Long Geek-end (har) ran in today’s Post. It’s absolutely hilarious:
May 19, 2005 — If you feel a sharp pain today
Discover more from WIL WHEATON dot NET
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
c’mon, wil – ROTS is gonna rule. just accept, and have a great time. 🙂 it’s a great day to be a star wars geek. i’ve waited 28 years to see ben kenobi and anakin skywalker duke it out on the lava planet, and i’m *not* going to be disappointed. and neither will you. search your feelings, you know it to be true…
Speaking of Geeking Out. Wil, you need to come to Austin for the Homestar Runner Marathon at the Alamo Drafthouse Downtown June 10th and 11th. Creaters Matt and Mike Chapman are going to be there for a Q&A session. Kick ass.
It’s Robot Fightin’ Time!
In honor of what is allegedly the final penetration in George Lucas’ decades-long nerd rape, I ask you the following:
Who would win in a fight—C3P0 or Marvin?
My answer—Marvin. He’s a product of Sirius Cybernetics Corp and has a brain the size of a planet. Threepi is Darth Vader’s third grade science project. Besides, Bender would then kick both their asses because he fights dirty.
I just have to say, I love this entry’s title…and yes, I guess it could be considered a geek reference. =^)
Well, I hope you do wind up wanting to take back your comments, because ROTS absolutely rocked! 🙂 Thanks for pointing out Lynch’s article–I was talking to some friends about this the other day, how we now have nothing to look forward to anymore! How silly…
Wil,
Episode III really is THAT good.
It really really is.
While not anywhere close to an uber-geek (I am married and actually have a day-job), I saw the midnight showing of ROTS, and I must say that it rocked. There is some cheesey dialog, predictably around the mushy-talk scenes between Ani and Padme, but overall I would call this movie a masterstroke by Lucas. This movie has that “something” that the first two movies just didn’t have. I can’t put my finger on it, but Lucas actually engages the audience in this movie… I found myself actually emotionally engaged in the movie, whereas in Ep. I was about to puke, and in Ep. II I was just thinking, “Well, this doesn’t suck as bad as Ep. I did.”
That’s my opinion, of course. Your mileage may vary. 🙂
Wil,
I have heard no complaints about EPIII. Please don’t cry on me.
FG
What’s next?
How about The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.
Trailer sooo shiny.
First, Revenge of the Sith makes up for the first two. Really – it isn’t just me. Everyone in the theatre this morning (9:30 AM showing) came out happy-sounding.
Think of this “lull” like the dot-com bust – those who survive this come out of it (in general) better.
Firefly deserves to be back on TV once the movie runs. It was under-appreciated when it was on – I saw exactly one episode when it was airing – and saw them all on DVD, wanting more.
Isn’t it about time for someone, ANYONE, to finally film “Stranger in a Strange Land”?
I think the lull is ok… I mean, I’m still lying here, smoking my cigarette after the LOTR trilogy.
Totally satisfying.
Lucas could take a lesson or two from Peter Jackson. George Lucas is brilliant with technology and a genius with post-production. He writes the most inane dialogue in The Galaxy. And he insists on meddling in everything.
PJ, instead, takes the most talented, specialized people he can find and leaves them alone to do what they do best.
Which is…
Create.
The.
Best.
Trilogy.
Ever.
–AJ
It’s an interesting article, although it’s too bad he completely cut out your discussion of this not being the end (considering that was your main point).
I just wrote an entry on my blog,
“Death to the Geeks, Long Live the Geeks, in response to this. What I think is happening is that geek culture is cleansing itself.
It’s not even so much that, with “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” gone, there can still be new material. It’s that the presence of behemoths like “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” have, I think, long prevented the development of new material. We can finally get some fresh ideas!
You know, “nerd” used to be a 4 letter word.
Now it’s a 6 figure income.
Star Wars and Star Trek were two of the greatest things, but maybe All things really must pass. The original Star Wars Trilogy was great, but “The Phantom Menace” sucked and “Attack of the Clones” was better, but still behind the curve. I haven’t seen “Revenge of the Sith” yet.
I love Star Trek, The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine. But Voyager did not enthuse me any. Enterprise didn’t enthuse me until the fourth season and the series finale was horrible. And what is worse is it is the last of Trek for the foreseeable future. This is all IMO.
Start Trek has ruled our lives since the 60s. Star Wars since 1977. Since that time we have seen every form of imitation but not much that is new, creative and provocative. Now that the two franchises are essentially over and done with, new ideas will flood the realm. PLEASE?????
Wil, believe it or not, Lucas actually exceeded expectations this time. I’ve been known to be a bit of a SW geek, and obviously have quite a few friends also suffering this same affliction. Obviously we tend to rank the movies, and the general consensus for the top 3 is pretty much running ESB, ANH, ROTS. Really. Some are even saying it’s a better movie than ANH, though pretty much all let ANH keep the #2 spot just because it’s ANH (and has Han Solo).
This is the first time I came away from a Star Wars midnight showing (in New Zealand no less, so way early since the dateline was on my side, heh) and was actually happy. It really is that good. I’m still in shock that Lucas actually did it, after all, before this the only good one he directed as ANH.
Go see it. And write about it. ‘Cause you’re gonna enjoy the experience, trust me. It’s no longer embarassing to be a Star Wars geek. It’s really *that* good.
“if you’ve never tasted the sting of a dodgeball on your face, you’re not a geek.”
Does it count if it’s durring a game of kickball as long as it’s a ball that would otherwise be used for dodgeball? 😛
Meh, I don’t think that geekdom is starting fresh just yet.
I mean, what about Stargate? It started with a movie, then it spawned a massive show that’s gone on for ten seasons or so and counting, and two spinoff series (though I heard that the animated one sucks). There’s also at least one convention specifically for it (Gate-Con). Pretty big if I do say so myself…. And it’s definetly different from Star Trek and Star Wars in some respects (modern-day setting for one thing)…. So I wouldn’t say that all the behemoths have finished just yet….
And in the anime-import world (even geekier, woo!), Gundam is NEVER going away. Serriously. You couldn’t even nuke it away. When the world ends, there will probably be something left of Gundam among the cockroaches and ruins. Also, some of older scifi/fantasy titles are being remastered. 🙂 (Yay for remastered Slayers! Too bad the Irresponsible Captain Tylor special edition release isn’t a remaster though. -_-‘ One of the best science fiction series EVER. And then there’s crazy stuff that mixes sci-fi and fantasy like Escaflowne. But regardless of how good the Escaflowne show is, the movie sucks. I’d like to see western live-action attempt a pseudo-medeival world that has mechas…. ‘Doubt they’d be willing to try though….)
Wil – right on!
Sith is just so lame.
I was a Star Wars nerd. In 1977 I was 12 years old and I was just blown away – Star struck.
Empire Strikes back – someone did a spoiler on me – bastard! But the movie rocked.
Return of the Jedi – WTF? It sucked. Freaking Ewoks were both the best and worst thing about the movie. Hell – the writing was on the wall for all to see: Lucas can’t write to save his life.
The new trilogy – OMG – how could they be worse than ROTJ? Beautiful to behold – but they ripped out the heart of the first movie and installed a freaking money making machine in its place and with Lucas writing – they’re apalling!
I’m sorry – Sith sucks sooo bad. Sure it is pretty – but I could write an essay on how bad it is. In fact I will – next issue of Hong Kong’s Spy Magazine. Sigh. This is not really the place to rant about how Star Wars began to suck, or how I hated the Matrix from the first movie… how people get suckered into the Special Effects and miss the spirit of the story, the heart of the characters, and the underlying meaning of what hacks like Lucas and the W brothers peddle. But I guess I just did.
I’ve found someone who has a similar viewpoint – Science Fiction writer David Brin. See his weblog –
http://www.davidbrin.blogspot.com/
Be enlightened and learn what a geek really is – a creature of the Enlightenment – not just the surface fluff piled on by Hollywood, but what really makes Star Trek and CSI great geek shows – and the others only bad imitators not really getting to the heart of geekness – just the surface style!
Wil – right on!
Sith is just so lame.
I was a Star Wars nerd. In 1977 I was 12 years old and I was just blown away – Star struck.
Empire Strikes back – someone did a spoiler on me – bastard! But the movie rocked.
Return of the Jedi – WTF? It sucked. Freaking Ewoks were both the best and worst thing about the movie. Hell – the writing was on the wall for all to see: Lucas can’t write to save his life.
The new trilogy – OMG – how could they be worse than ROTJ? Beautiful to behold – but they ripped out the heart of the first movie and installed a freaking money making machine in its place and with Lucas writing – they’re apalling!
I’m sorry – Sith sucks sooo bad. Sure it is pretty – but I could write an essay on how bad it is. In fact I will – next issue of Hong Kong’s Spy Magazine. Sigh. This is not really the place to rant about how Star Wars began to suck, or how I hated the Matrix from the first movie… how people get suckered into the Special Effects and miss the spirit of the story, the heart of the characters, and the underlying meaning of what hacks like Lucas and the W brothers peddle. But I guess I just did.
I’ve found someone who has a similar viewpoint – Science Fiction writer David Brin. See his weblog –
http://www.davidbrin.blogspot.com/
Be enlightened and learn what a geek really is – a creature of the Enlightenment – not just the surface fluff piled on by Hollywood, but what really makes Star Trek and CSI great geek shows – and the others only bad imitators not really getting to the heart of geekness – just the surface style!
David – somewhere in Hong Kong
If we are going down the ‘What sci-fi series are we gonna turn into the next visual superpower?’ (and I’m not suggesting we are) what about a movie version of Sliders? Kenneth Johnson is doing a 20th anniversary follow-up to ‘V’ (which I cant wait for) and I agree with others comments that theres still a wealth of quality sci-fi out there, but then what do I know, I’m still bummed by the canning of Battle Of The Planets! Remember that anyone…anyone?
1) Cute article. Great quotes from you (both included in the article and not).
2) Revenge of the Sith rocks. There were a few groan-inducing moments, but overall it definitely beat my expectations. As I was walking out of the theater, tears in my eyes, I immediately wanted to go back and see it again. I can’t remember the last time that happened.
Heh, I just came up with a rudimentary Star Wars Geek Code, since it seemed appropriate to state just how much of a Star Wars geek I am (as others have in these comments). It is at
http://www.wbwither.net/swgc.txt
My SWGC is c–z+V++D+PM+AC+RS+VG+++B+++C+FL+
Suggestions on the SWGC are welcome…..
“if you’ve never tasted the sting of a dodgeball on your face, you’re not a geek.”
Such a great quote. Even 28 years later, I still remember the sting of the dodgeball that the phys ed teacher launched at my head, not once but twice.
Just last year, I felt the sting of a volleyball on my face, proving once and for all, I am still a geek.
Isn’t a big part of the future of Sci Fi the availability of high quality work created by fans? Star Wars Revelations was actually pretty good. http://www.panicstruckpro.com/revelations/revelations_movie.html
Regarding the new geek era, I have but one word:
SERENITY.
🙂
Start Trek has ruled our lives since the 60s. Star Wars since 1977. Since that time we have seen every form of imitation but not much that is new, creative and provocative. Now that the two franchises are essentially over and done with, new ideas will flood the realm. PLEASE?????
Start Trek has ruled our lives since the 60s. Star Wars since 1977. Since that time we have seen every form of imitation but not much that is new, creative and provocative. Now that the two franchises are essentially over and done with, new ideas will flood the realm. PLEASE?????
Start Trek has ruled our lives since the 60s. Star Wars since 1977. Since that time we have seen every form of imitation but not much that is new, creative and provocative. Now that the two franchises are essentially over and done with, new ideas will flood the realm. PLEASE?????
I personally feel so bad for you guys that hated eps 1 and 2. I recently wrote “A Review of ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ from a Prequel-Hater’s Point of View'” on my site. It’s a satirical review, where I basically rip apart ep5, which most see as the best of the series, using typical complaints about episodes I and II (the faults of ep1 and 2 can also be seen in ep5 if you don’t look from a nostalgia POV).
I loved eps 1 and 2. They were fun movies. It’s so much better that they got a smile out of me than anger and words like “abomination” out of you guys. Lucas is 100% right. There are the “over 25” and “under 25” year-old fans. You grew up with Star Wars, so you loved it. You probably laugh at the 13 year-olds who LOVED episode II (and they did). I’m not criticizing you guys (even though it sound like i am. honestly, i’m not), but it’s just too bad you seem to (and admit it, you do) seem to try to find things to hate, or what-they-did-wrong, about movies than what you liked.
Well, though ROTS was not the BEST EVER Star Wars movie, it was considerably better than 1 and 2. And there was actually reason to cheer and clap at some points.
It’s a bittersweet day for SW fans, and a sad week for SW/ST fans alike – everything is ending. But maybe something new will come out of the ashes and that would be really cool.
However, Wil, I really hope you aren’t planning on missing ROTS entirely. At least see it once. Give it a shot. Hayden finally learned how to act and it’s a moving story. Damn near cried once or twice.
Besides, Peter Mayhew dons his Chewie costume again. How cool is that?!
Wil,
I have been a little bummed about the end of the two big sci-fi franchises, Star Wars and Star Trek. But I have taken comfort that the studios see sci-fi as a very lucrative ($$$$) genre and will develop new properties. If any of the studios want a little help in looking for new material besides tv, just go to your friendly neighborhood bookstore and look in the sci-fi section. There they will find many series just ripe for the picking with established settings and fan bases. I would suggest using the Ender’s Game series. I know that there have been some plans to do make it into a movie but maybe now is a good time to try it again. As Uriel mentioned earlier, the first book in the Narnia series (The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe) is being made by the same effects company that made LOTR (WETA Digital). I see a lot of hope for sci-fi since the ability to create some of the fantastic worlds and aliens is now possible with cgi technology. There are many many possibilities that Hollywood could use and maybe we will see some great sci-fi again.
For some geeky audio goodness, check out a these sci-fi/fantasy audiobooks being released in podcast format – links are at http://podiobooks.com
I am HOOKED on Earthcore and The Pocket and the pendant. Once I finish those I’ll start on the other two.
Brian
http://podcaststickers.com
Wil, you’re very right about this. I also welcome the end of this whole Star Wars silliness and the Star Trek silliness, too. If those two franchises are the only two things holding up the Geek palace, then we’re all doomed, anyway. Thank goodness we’ve had LOTR and Spider-man and all the other GOOD things keeping us afloat lo these past few years. It would be a depressing world if all we had to look forward to was Episodes 1 – 3 and Enterprise. ::shudder::
gotta love the high schools that offer Networking classes, especially the tech schools…i’m taking a break from a complete geek activity (router configuration! yay!) to say that truth be told, the only midnight showing i’d go to is one of the Rocky Horror Picture Show…at least i’d be able to throw things…i digress, though. i’ve only seen ANH and PM, with no desire to see the other ones in the “new trilogy” at all. well, maybe ROTS so i can see what the “horrific violence” is that everyone is talking about (methinks it has something to do with that lava). i actually watched the Enterprise series finale, and i thought it was semi-decent. i liked the theme song better than the show itsself. GAH! teacher’s coming in! i’ll be so busted!
Slackferno, I’d like to see a Celebrity Cartoon Death Match between Marvin and Bender.
—-
I am a production of the Star Trek/Star Wars era. I saw the original Star Trek when it aired in ’66, as a teenager. Saw Star Wars in ’77 as a 20-something SF fan and was enthralled. I own a lightsaber. (Not one of those plastic things, but an actual camera flash tube that Lucas’s props dept. fancied up for the movie.)
Geeks do rule the world. And their influence increases. Many NASA scientists entered the field thanks to their geeky interest in ST/SW. What about the Blackberry? Cell phones? It’s the Trek tricorder and communicator; it’s only taken all that time for technology to catch up.
I agree with Wil — the end of the ST/SW sagas is just the prologue to so much more. For me, I moved on from ST and SW without having the movies/series end — I’m branched out, not necessarily moved on. I still enjoy both, but am looking ahead, not back.
For me, Star Trek has been over for a long time. Voyager was ok at first, but then I lost interest. It didn’t ever measure up to TNG for me. Enterprise? Thank you, no.
I’m not seeing ROTS until next week, and I’m hoping it’s really as good as I’ve heard. What I’m afraid of, however, is that people feel it exceeded their expectations because those expectations were hung out to dry with Jar Jar Binks. I can pretty much count on one hand the things I liked about Episodes 1 & 2 (Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson getting to be a Jedi, Darth Maul ’cause he looked so cool and some of the effects were fantastic. Couldn’t stand they whiney little kid) Ok that’s 4. So, if he has like 6 things that are great in the new one, that exceeds my expectations, but, well… you see what I mean.
I think people assumed sci-fi fans were geeks because they just didn’t understand how great the stories are. Now that franchises like LOTR and even Harry Potter are mainstream, everyone can see that sci-fi and fantasy will draw you in and leave you dying to see what happens next. Now that Star Wars and Star Trek are over, we can leave outer space, land in places like middle earth, and see what other worlds exit. I can’t wait!
UPDATE to my post above (first one, wh00t!): ROTS really *did* rule, i’m happy to say. there’s still some painful dialogue, but it’s easy to overlook in light of the big picture and all the things they got right this time, and besides, that’s something even the first movie back in ’77 had, so it’s sort of keeping with tradition, heh. the acting from all sides is great, and the zillions things that tie in to the original trilogy are fantastic. i am not ashamed to say i was moved to tears from the opening to the closing notes, just knowing that i was truly seeing then end of an era for a generation. go, go, go see it, wil – i don’t think you will be disappointed. long live star wars.
Honestly? When I heard about the final episode of Enterprise, I said “Whoa, that’s still on?”
I went into Episode III with a “I wonder what Lucas screwed up with this one” – after all, it’s a hard sale to expect people to see a movie where you absolutely, positively know the ending to – and found that it didn’t suck. Much better than I expected, altho I dunno that it makes up for VI, I, and II respectively.
As to what’s next, I agree with whoever said it up there: Narnia. Disney seems to be taking it seriously, altho I remain skeptical that it will go on for a full 7 movies… even the BBC couldn’t pull that off an Lewis is one of their own.
After Narnia, I think a certain prequel to LotR will make an appearance on the screen.
And after that, Geeks might be so mainstream that it won’t even matter what comes next 🙂
What I wonder is whether Episode III really IS the last Star Wars movie. I mean, Lucas said for a while that he wasn’t going to make any more after Jedi, but something drove him to do it anyway.
I have a feeling that, even though Lucas certainly doesn’t need any more money, the lure of more money and even more enduring fame than he already has will entice him to make Episodes VII, VIII, and IX. And, hey, maybe if he does, he’ll be tired enough of writing and directing them himself that he’ll go back to giving those jobs to people who are actually GOOD at writing and directing.
Ok, so Kurt Cobain shoots himself, and the entire music industry instantly goes on a “next big thing” watch. Veruca Salt was unfortunately pegged as “it,” and were, alas neither willing nor able to fill those shoes. What’s big label music come to, now? Yeah.
Let’s let the bucket sit, and the cream *will* rise to the top, and it probably will be better than George Lucas’s occasionally insulting lc-denom latest three. (Personally, I blame Rick McCallum, but that’s another rant entirely.)
As for ‘Sith, it is, hands down, the best of the new three. With the same improvement delta between each flick, if Ep I had been this good, II & III would have made movie history. It’s worth the price of admission.
Back to my point, are we really such a polarized, little nerd herd that we need some corporate warlord telling us what is cool? Hell no. Frankly, I could use a little break in the mainstream geek chic scene for a while.
Geeks are geeks, why? Because we’re not yanked along with the bandwagon, so we go geek out on what interests us. Thats the *real* cool stuff.
Being someone who appreciated Tolkein used to be an obscure form of geekery in and of itself. I actually kind of resent it when “everybody else” hones in on, cuts up, and dumbs down truly intelligent and interesting material.
I’m not a cutural isolationist, but c’mon, saying you love Lord of the Rings has gone from meaning you have an appreciation for the philological study involved to meaning that you like Viggo Mortensen and Sean Bean fanfics. Please.
I neither need nor want Big Money telling me where to geek out. As for the fringes of the herd that do need that, thin ’em. We’ll be lighter, faster, stronger, and smarter without ’em. 😉
The geeks still have the Harry Potter movies to look forward to! They can sit in their capes and witches’ and wizards’ hats and watch the movie.
The geeks still have the Harry Potter movies to look forward to! They can sit in their capes and witches’ and wizards’ hats and watch the movie.
Thanks for the mention and the link. My friends are all duly impressed. 🙂